Journal of Biosciences

, Volume 26, Issue 3, pp 365–371 | Cite as

Incipient sexual isolation in thenasuta-albomicans complex ofDrosophila: mating preference in male-, female- and multiple-choice mating experiments

  • M. T. Tanuja
  • N. B. Ramachandra
  • H. A. Ranganath
Article
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Accepted:

Abstract

Interracial divergence is an important facet of speciation. Thenasuta-albomicans complex ofDrosophila with sixteen morphologically identical, karyotypically different but cross-fertile races is an excellent system to study a few dimensions of raciation.Drosophila nasuta nasuta, Drosophila nasuta albomicans, Cytorace 1, Cytorace 2, Cytorace 3 and Cytorace 4 of this subgroup have been subjected to male-, female- and multiple-choice mating experiments. Out of 8456 crosses conducted, 7185 had successful matings. The overall impression is that mating is far from random amongst these six closely related races of thenasuta-albomicans complex. The males ofD. n. albomicans, Cytorace 1 and Cytorace 4 in male-choice, the females of Cytorace 1 and Cytorace 2 in female-choice, and the males and females ofD. n. nasuta, D. n. albomicans, Cytorace 1 and Cytorace 4 against the males and females of Cytorace 2 in multiple-choice experiments, had significantly more homogamic matings than expected. Thus in this study of evolutionary experimentation on raciation under laboratory conditions, we have documented the initiation of preference for con-specific matings among closely related and independently evolving members of thenasuta-albomicans complex ofDrosophila.

Keywords

Drosophila incipient isolation mating preference nasuta-albomicans 
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Copyright information

© Indian Academy of Sciences 2001

Authors and Affiliations

  • M. T. Tanuja
    • 1
  • N. B. Ramachandra
    • 1
  • H. A. Ranganath
    • 1
  1. 1.Drosophila Stock Centre, Department of Studies in ZoologyUniversity of MysoreManasagangotri, MysoreIndia

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